Remember the days when you sat outside on a hot summer day as a kid with an ice pop and not a care in the world? Delicious and sweet goodness dripping down your hand, could it really have gotten any better? For Brandon DeCurtins it certainly could. As a lawyer looking to get out of the profession and involved in something new and fun, the success of his Atlanta buddies’ popsicle business sounded like just the ticket. After partnering with Neil Ringer, a Davidson native who had been living with the guys from Atlanta and learning the pop business, King of Pops Charlotte was becoming a reality. “The first month or two we spent a lot of lonely time sitting in a parking lot with passerbys giving us odd looks” says DeCurtins. Those lonely days were numbered however and since launching in April 2013, King of Pops Charlotte has grown from just 2 carts to 12 and that’s not including the retail locations they are sold in.

It’s been just over a year and half since launching in Charlotte and King of Pops has gained quite the following. Just this past summer King of Pops Charlotte has used over 9,500 lbs of dry ice to keep their pops cold. Each week they’ve been whipping up between 3,000 and 10,000 pops with just two or three team members in the kitchen at a time. For those that have become popsicle crazy like myself here in Charlotte, it should come as no surprise that Chocolate Sea Salt remains the champion among all other King of Pops flavors and is the only flavor the team makes every week alongside other delicious flavors.

With all the success of King of Pops and their rise to becoming a Charlotte staple, we here at Crown Town Living felt it was our obligation to feature all of the great locations and other off-season options you’ll have throughout the year to fulfill all of your popsicle cravings.

We had the opportunity to correspond with the Charlotte popsicle king himself, Brandon DeCurtins, who laid out the company’s off-season plans. Coming soon (early November and TBA via social media) On Sunday, Nov 2nd there will be an “End of Season Free Pop Day”. If you have already had the opportunity to try King of Pops, I know you’ll be there. If you haven’t, what better opportunity could there be to give one of these a try?

Catering is another great option for getting your popsicle fill in the off-season. “We can cater any event from birthdays to weddings to corporate events” says DeCurtins. Anyone could stop by the King of Pops Charlotte warehouse in NoDa (421 E 26th Street), a delivery could be made or you can opt for King of Pops’ full service catering option. At any one of these events we can’t forget poptails! That’s right! Think cocktails but in the form of a popsicle. Alcoholic beverages on a stick! Do we have your attention? For more details regarding catering, check out the King of Pops Catering page.

Finally, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing many of these soon, the team at King of Pops will have several “Holiday Pop Packs”. Brandon told us to keep a lookout on social media for these holiday packs to include Candy Corn/Trick or Treat Pops for Halloween, Cranberry Pops for Thanksgiving and Egg Nog, Gingerbread and Candy Cane pops for Christmas. These holiday pops will only be available in a special pop pack.

Beyond off-season plans, the team at King of Pops has developed and continues to develop retail relationships to spread popsicle joy beyond their own carts. Those retail partners include…

Common Market in South End and Plaza Midwood – South End – 1515 S. Tryon St.; Plaza Midwood – 2007 Commonwealth Ave.

Total Wine in Ballantyne – 5341 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy #100

Providence Produce Market in Waxhaw – 1316 Providence Road South

I don’t think anyone could argue that a career revolving around deliciously sweet treats is a great one. Brandon and his team at King of Pops never fail at delivering great popsicles but more importantly big smiles. Brandon says, “meeting smiling customers big and little at the cart stands” is one of his favorite things about his job. If you haven’t had a King of Pops experience yet, you are long overdue. If you have, I’m certain you’ll be craving some in the off-season and that we’ve helped offer you somewhat of a guide to fulfilling those cravings.